Napkin dispenser



1951 c. L. CAMPBELL ET AL 2,54

NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed March 11, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Clyde L. Campbell Carl J. Grimm IN V EN TORS.

TIIIIIA'IA IJ 'IA VIIJWIIIIIIIIIIIA -lu 58 V wq lllllllm Feb. 1951 c. L. CAMPBELL ET AL 2,540,930

NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed March 11, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 will! i.

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C/yde L. Campbell Carl J. Grimm I IN V EN TORS.

BY M

Patented Feb. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NAPKIN DISPENSER Clyde L. Campbell, Champaign, and Carl J. Grimm, Peoria, Ill.

Application March 11, 1948, Serial No. 14,226

3 Claims. 1

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a napkin dispenser, and more specifically pertains to a device for automatically dispensing or discharging a single napkin at a time through a discharge opening from a napkincontaining magazine. K

The principal object of this invention is to provide a napkin dispenser which may be manually operable to automatically dispense a single napkin from the device.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a magazine for storing folded napkins, a hinged retaining plate in the top of the magazine resting upon the pile of folded napkins, together with a resiliently urged follower in the bottom of the magazine for yieldingly urging the stack of folded napkins to a dispensing position.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a hinged cover on the magazine for readily replacing the napkins therein, together with guide means and a slide carried by the cover for dispensing napkins as desired.

Yet another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of the particular slide construction which, at its front end, is provided with a dispensing blade extending transversely of the magazine, and wherein the slide I is guided for movement in alignment with a discharge slot of the magazine.

Yet another important feature of the inven tion comprehends the provision of an opening in the cover of the magazine for movement therethrough of an operating handle for the slide, together with resilient means attached to the cover and to the slide for returning the latter to the inoperative or rest position.

Yet another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an attractive napkin dispenser which is also provided with condiment receptacles and with a resilient type of menu holder.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front of the napkin dispenser;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the lower surface of the napkin dispenser with its cover raised and showing the slide and dispensing blade mounted thereon;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the dispenser of Figure 1;'

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the dispenser of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the dispensing slide;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View through the cover showing the construction of the slide and its guides, taken substantially upon the vertical plane of section line 6-6 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view, parts broken away, of the retainer plate of the magazine.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, the numeral it] indicates a base of any suitable type upon which is rigidly or integrally mounted a housing [2 constituting the body of a magazine, which has a magazine chamber [4 therein and a hinged cover 16. Adjacent its upper end, the housing or casing I 2 is provided with a transversely extending discharge slot [8 for the dispensing of folded napkins therefrom, as set forth hereinafter.

Suitably attached to the base In, and preferably to the rear wall of the housing I2 is a resilient spring finger 20 whereby a menu card or like object may be yieldingly attached to and supported by the napkin dispenser. Likewise, integrally or rigidly attached to the base ill and to the end of the housing l2 are a pair of receptacles 22 for receiving salt and pepper containers 24.

Referring now chiefly to Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that the interior or magazine I4 of the dispenser is provided with a pair of magazine springs 26 which yieldingly urge a magazine feeding plate 28 upwardly in the container to thereby urge a stack of folded napkins 29 into upper position in the magazine and in position for selective discharge through the discharge slot 58. Hinged to the upper portion of the walls of the magazine I2 is a retainer plate 30 which is pivotally mounted as by means of hinges 32 upon an axle pin 34 suitably secured in the dispenser. This plate, as shown in Figure 3, is pivoted to the opposite wall of the dispenser from the discharge slot l8, and is positioned to normally rest upon the top of the stack of napkins and retain the same in slightly compressed relation by the weight if the plate 30.

It should be here noted that the napkins are preferably folded and placed in a stack in the container in such a manner that the upper surface of each napkin is provided with a marginal fold 36 thereon whereby the napkin may be dispensed as set forth hereinafter.

As will be best seen by reference to Figures 1, 4, 5 and 6, the dispenser cover 16 is provided With a pair of parallel horizontally disposed guide rods 38 mounted in any suitable manner therein.

Overlying the guide rods 38, the cover It is provided with a transversely extending slot 38 which is parallel to and preferably extends between the rods 33. A slide &2, shown in Figure 5 as consisting of a generally rectangular plate having upturned forwardly and rearwardly positioned flanges M and 45, respectively, is provided with aligned apertures or bores 48 in these flanges for the reception and sliding movement upon the guide rods 33. Arcuate recesses Evil-are provided in the upper edges of the front and rear walls l and 46 for a purpose which will be later set forth. A suitable operating knob 0r handle 52 extends through and is slidable in the slot M3, and is secured in any suitable manner, as by welding, screw-threading or the like, to the guide plate 42 for reciprocating movement of the same.

A resilient means such as a tension spring 56 is secured at one end to the rear wall of the cover I6, extends through the recesses 53, and at its forward end is secured to the front flange M by means of the aperture 56 whereby the slide is yieldingly urged into its retracted or inoperative position disposed at the Wall of the magazine opposite the dispensing opening 3.

A dispensing blade 58, see Figures 2, 3 and 4, extends substantially the full length of the magazinc, in parallel arrangement to the discharge slot l8, and is secured in a forwardly and downwardly inclined position, as shown in Figure 3, to the front flange M of the slide 42, as by the apertures 60. This dispensing blade is so positioned that in the retracted position of the slide, as shown in Figure 3, the front end of the blade terminates coextensivel with the front end of the retainer plate 3|], vhereby upon forward movement of the slide and blade, the latter slides forward upon the upper surface of the topmost folded napkin and engages under the folded edge 36 thereof, and upon further travel of the slide draws the napkin from beneath the retainer plate so and delivers the same through the discharge slot [8. During this operation, it will be seen that the weight of the retainer plate 30 is suflicient to maintain the rest of the stack in its normal position in the magazine, as the slide and blade dispense only the topmost napkin therefrom. It will also be readily seen that when the knob 52 of the slide is released, the sprin means promptly returns the slide to its original rest position in readiness for its next dispensing operation, While the stack 29 of napkins is retained in its uppermost position after successive dispensing operations by the magazine plate 28 and the springs 25.

In order to facilitate the opening of the cover 16, a suitable handle member 62 is provided to constitute a finger grip member for lifting the hinged cover. Particular attention is directed to the construction whereby, upon lifting of the cover, the guide means, the slide, its return spring, the dispensing plate and the operating knob are all raised out of the way, whereby it is merely necessary to raise the hinged retainer plate 36 in order to insert additional napkins to the stack 29 and press the same into the magazine against the opposition of the spring 26.

When the magazine has been charged, the retainer plate 30 is dropped upon the stack, and the hinged cover It is closed, thereby positioning the device ready for use. The finger grip 62 also constitutes a finger rest when the knob 52 is manipulated, thus rendering the dispensing action easier.

From the foregoing, the manner of constructing and operating the device and its manifold advantages will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications and changes will readilyv occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the principles of the invention are not limited to the exact construction chosen for purposes of illustration, but that all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed and described the invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A napkin dispenser including a magazine for receivin a stack of folded napkins, a discharge slot, resilient means urging a stack, of napkins proximate said discharge slot, a slide movable in alignment with said slot, a blade on said slide for engaging the fold of the topmost napkin of a stack and dispensing said napkin through said slot, a removable cover for said magazine,guides carried by said cover, said slide being slidably mounted on said guides, an opening in said cover, a handle for said slide extending through said opening, resilient means engaging said slide and cover for biasing said slide'to its rest position, said guides including parallel rods carried by said cover and perpendicular and disposed abovesaid slot, said slide including a plate having forward and rearward upturned flanges journaled on said slide, said blade extending forwardly and downwardly fromsaid forward flange, l

2. The combination of claim 1 including recesses in said flanges for receiving said resilient means. V

3. A napkin dispenser including a magazine for receiving a stack of folded napkins, a discharge slot at the upper portion of said magazine, resilient means upwardly urging a stack of .napkins proximate said discharge slot, a slide movable in alignment with said slot, a blade hinged on said slide for engagingthefqld of the topmost napkin of a stack, said blade beingmovableby said slide through the slot for dispensing said napkin through said slot, a napkin retainerplate hinged to said magazine for resting upon a stack of folded napkins upon the major portion of their area and remote from the slot for thereby compressing the stack, the blade being receivable upon said plate in the retracted position of theslide.

CLYDE L. CAMPBELL. CARL J GRIMM.

, B QESC T P.

The following references areof recordiinrthe file of this patent: o UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name v Date.-

493,805 Ayer Mar. 21, 1893 536,627 Housh Apr. 2, 1895 656,925 Bick Aug. 28, 1900 

